Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-18
TUESDAY. ......OCTOBER 1S, 1888
Mahone and the Blair Bill.

Mr.. RDDLEBERGEB publishes letter
from w. G. ELAN. Esq, in which the
latter undertakes to sum up the evil
dence going to show that General Ma
HONE has always been an advocate of
the BLAIR bill. When we first read
the letter we concluded that Mr. ELAN
had make out his case but after read
ing Mr.. RIDDLEBERGER's comments
upon it we understood at once how Mr..
ELAN might believe and know all
that he said he knew and be-
lieved in connection with this
matter, and yet he totally mistaken.
The substance of Mr.. ELAM's letter is
that Mr. BLAIR will testify that Ma
HONE was a friend of his bill that Ma
HONE wrote ELAN to advocate the bill
in the wing; that ELAN did so that
MALONE in various campaigns in Vir
ginia posed as the friend of the bill,
and told how much each county would
receive under its operation that he re-
ported the bill favorably; and in a
word that he was its known friend,
though he "may have privately ex-
pressed some apprehension that its APP
propriations might not be fairly APP
piled by the southern Democrats.
Mr. RDDLEBgRGEE clears up the case
and explains away MIR. ELAM's letter.
ms follows:
The above is n very emphatic con-
tradiction of statement made by me
over year ago and frequently repeat
Cd since in these columns.
Mr.. Elan could not possibly have |
known all the facts. He knows that |
the owner of the Wing gave him di-
rectiODs, and that he followed them, as |
he states.
The Blair bill, like all such measures,
appeared in more shapes than one.
And | state again, from personal know
ledge, after conference with General |
Malone in his committee, within five |
minutes before the voting, that bill as
amended and perfected by majority |
of the Senate-the bill which passed, |
was sent to the House Of Representa-
tives, and which is now being discussed
before the country-was not Only OPP |
posed but denounced 10y General Ma
hone with such rudeness to me that |
forbore to visit his committee room af-
forwards.
1t is proper to state that | had been
requested by several senators to see
General Malone and l reported to
them the result. | am almost sure
Senator Blair was one. At any rate
General Malone remained there, in
ear-shOt" Of the roll call, and per
mitted himself to be marked "abscnt."
General Malone was an earnest adj
vocate of bill which would disburse
the fund through Federal officers, but
the bill which passed the Senate he
denounced as a measure that would do
the schools no good, but would simply
place that much money in Bourbon
hands TO corrupt and carry elections.
Notwithstanding these conclusive rea-
sons, if well founded, two years later
General Malone voted for the bill.
There was no one present in the
committeeman during the brief talk |
between General Malone and myself.
When, therefore, he shall deny these
statements over his own name the peo-
pie can Judge between US as to the au-
tborship of "audacious misrepresenta-
tions."
/ reiterate these statements in vindi-
cation OF my oft-repeated assertions,
and to aid, as far as such facts may, IN |
eliminating man as an issue and sub
stituting broader, higher. and weightier
questions, so that the Republican party !
may have chance Of success.
Respectfully
Ii. III. RIDDLEBERGEB.
That explanation seems to cover the
whole ground. 1t shows MALONE in a
much worse light, so far as the BLAIR |
bill is concerned, than even his enemies |
had supposed he could bemade to stand |
in. 1t tells that he favored taking the |
control Of the school fund out Of the |
hands Of the State and putting it into |
the hands Of the Federal officials, Just !
as BoSD has taken the control Of the
States funds out Of the hands of the |
State officers, and assumed that control
himself BOND and MALONE are pair
Of noble brothers